Nutcracker



F 1936. M. L. STROMBERG 2,311,l9

NUTCRACKER Filed NOV. 7, 1933 Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES F NUTCRACKER Martin L. Stromberg, Marshfield, Oreg.

Application November '7, 1933, Serial No. 697,013

Claims. (01. 14616) u V y considerably in ape and size, and in the link means as a single straight element; Fig. 6 the structure of their shell. A small nut may be is a side view showing another modification of my as hard to crack as one several times as large. nutcracker, using a single straight link means; Many ingenious devices have been invented which Fig. .7 is a side view of still another modification.

TNT GFFICE 5 are adapted to crack both small and large nuts Thruout the drawing and specification similar 5 or which are adapted to exert adequate presnumerals refer to similar parts. sure to crack hard tough nuts. Most of these The lever I, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is substandevices are too complicated, too costly, or require tially an L-shaped structure, the longer leg of too much adjustment or time to make them. As which constitutes the handle portion 2, which is a consequence, one of the first and most simple of circular cross section and which may be em- 10 of the nutcrackers invented is still most popular. bellished as desired, and the shorter leg which This nutcracker comprises a pair of levers pivoted constitutes the head 3. The head 3 may be at their upper ends, one to each end of a conformed integrally with the handle 2 or be fixedly necting link. The action of these levers upon a secured thereto, to form said L-shaped structure.

5 nut placed between them is that of levers of the In Figs. 1 to 5, the head 3 is shown bifurcated to second class. In this instance, the levers exert form the jawsd and 5. In thesejaws is positioned pressure on the nut from diametrically opposite the pivot 6 upon which is pivoted the link means sides. It is apparent that the closer the nut is which, in Figs. 1 to 3, includes the two straight positioned with relation to the pivoted ends of the elements I and 8; in Fig. 4, the U-shaped element levers the greater will be the pressure exerted 9; and in Fig. 5, the single straight element H]. 20 upon it by any force acting on the lowerends of The opposite end of the link means employed, is the levers. In other words, the pressure exerted pivoted upon the pivot ll upon which is also is to the force as the distance from the pivot to pivoted the upper end 12B of the lever l2 which the point of pressure is to the distance from the may have its lower or handle portion l3 em- 5 pivot to the point of the application of the force. bellished to match the handle portion 2 of the As above constructed, a large nut placed close to lever I. The inner faces HA and 52A adjacent the pivoted ends of the levers in order to take the head 3 are provided with the serrations it advantage of the greater pressure will cause the whereby a better grip may be had upon the nut lower ends of the levers to be spaced too far apart I5 or i 6 placed between them. In Figs. 3 and 4,

to be readily grasped by the hand-especially if the jaws 4 and 5 are ofiset outwardly and in Fig. 5 30 the hand is that of a woman or child. The they are ofiset inwardly to give support to the women and children crack most of the nuts link means. In Fig. 4, the portion 9A serves as brought into the homes. In order that they may a spreader and gives support to the side portions use the above device the large nut must be posi- 9B. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, it is tioned farther from the pivoted ends of the levers desirable that a filler ll be provided to serve as a 35 with a consequent decrease in the amount of presspreader and support for the elements 1 and 8, or sure that may be exerted upon it. that a shouldered pivot (not shown) be employed.

One of the objects of my invention is to permit The end MB of the lever I2 is flattened when the a like amount of pressure to be exerted upon two link means I and 8 or 9 are employed or it is bior more nuts which vary considerably in size furcated for the reception of the link means iii. 40 withoutaconsequently increased force or distance Whether the connecting means comprising the thru which said force moves. two straight elements 1 and 3, the U-shaped ele- Another object is to provide a nutcracker that ment 9, or the single straight element It, is used,. is neat in appearance, inexpensive to make, so the jaws 6 and 5 are made sufiiciently long to per- 5 simple that a child may use it, and so powerful mit the pivot H to follow the arc !8 so that it that he or she may readily crack hard tough nuts, may assume the position shown in Fig. 1, which is both small and large. in the space l9 between said jaws. It will be I show such a nutcracker in the drawing acnoted, in Fig. 2, that in exerting pressure upon companying this specification in which Fig. l is a the large nut I6 an outward pull is exerted upon side View showing one modification of my nutthe pivots 6 and H, or in other words, the link 50 cracker arranged to take a small nut; Fig. 2 shows means is in tension. When exerting pressure the same modification arranged to take a large upon the small nut [5 shown in Fig. 1, an outnut; Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a top ward push is exerted upon the pivots 6 and l I, or view of a nutcracker showing the link means as in other words, the link means is in compression. 5 a U-shaped element; Fig. 5 is a top view showing When the link means is in tension it maintains its position but when it is in compression its tendency is to change its position. To hold it in fixed position when in compression I make the link means of such length that the pivot II will be above the pivot 6 when the portion 20 of the lever I2 is in contact with the filler I1.

In Fig. 6 the levers I and I2 are of circular cross section. The head 3 is formed integrally with the handle portion 2 and is shown curved to provide the outer depending end 2| which is bifurcated for the reception of the single straight link element I I] which is also pivotable in the end I2B of the lever I2 bifurcated to receive it. By providing the depending end 2| the pivot I I may assume a position above the pivot 6 when the end IZB of the lever I2 is in contact with the portion 3A of the head 3 which, in this instance, serves as a stop against further upward movement.

A primary object of the head 3 is to permit the pivot 6 to be spaced to the right or the left of the axis of the handle portion 2 of the lever I. In Fig. 7 I have pivotably connected the head 3 to the handle portion 2 of the lever I by providing the pivot 22 which in this instance, I position to the right of the axis of the handle portion 2 of the lever I by offsetting the upper end IB thereof. It is evident, without further illustration, that the end IB may be otherwise shaped to permit this same positioning of the pivot 22. It will be noted in Fig. 7 that the faces I C and [20 which are diametrically opposite the faces IA and I2A of the levers I and I2 are also provided with the serrations I4. Constructed as shown in Fig. '7 the lever I may be positioned to work to the right or the left of the lever I2 whereby said levers may be spaced apart, when in parallel relation, such distances as, for instance, A", 1%, and 1 The relation of the lever I2 to the lever I may be changed almost instantly whereby a maximum pressure may be exerted on either a small or large nut with a minimum movement of said levers at the point where the force is applied.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, in a. nutcracker, of an elongated lever having a crushing surface adjacent one end and a handle portion at the other end, a rigid laterally extending head portion, one end of which is fixed to the end of the lever adjacent the crushing surface and the other end of which is shaped to provide a depending portion, a second elongated lever having a crushing surface and a handle portion, and a link means pivotally connected at one end to the depending portion of said head and at the other end to the second lever adjacent the crushing surface end thereof.

2. The combination, in a nutcracker, of an elongated lever having a crushing surface adjacent one end and a handle portion at the other end, a rigid laterally extending U-shaped head portion, one leg of which is fixed to the end of the lever adjacent the crushing surface, a second elongated lever having a crushing surface and a handle portion, and a link means pivotally connected at one end to the free leg of said laterally extending portion and at the other end to the second lever adjacent the crushing surface end thereof.

3. The combination, in a nutcracker, of an elongated lever having a crushing surface adjacent one end and a handle portion at the other end, a rigid laterally extending bifurcated head portion, one end of which is fixed to the end of the lever adjacent the crushing surface, a second elongated lever having a crushing surface and a handle portion, and a link means pivotally connected at one end to the second lever adjacent the crushing surface end thereof and at the other end to the ends of the legs, formed by the bifurcation of the head, which are spaced apart and of such length as to allow the link means and the pivot connecting the second lever with said link means to pass thru between the legs of the bifurcated head.

4. The combination, in a nutcracker, of an elongated lever having a crushing surface adjacent one end and a handle portion at the other end, a rigid laterally extending bifurcated head portion, one end of which is pivotally connected to the end of the lever adjacent the crushing surface, a second elongated lever having a crushing surface and a handle portion, and a link means pivotally connected at one end to the second lever adjacent the crushing surface end .thereof and at the other end to the ends of the legs, formed by the bifurcation of the head, which are spaced apart and of such length as to allow the link means and the pivot connecting the second lever with said link means to pass thru between the legs of the bifurcated head.

5. The combination, in a nutcracker, of an elongated lever having a crushing surface adjacent one end and a handle portion at the other end, a rigid laterally extending bifurcated head portion, one end of which is pivotally connected to the end of the lever adjacent the crushing surface and at a point spaced from the axis of the lever, a second elongated lever having a crushing surface and a handle portion, and a link means pivotally connected at one end to the second lever adjacent the crushing surface end thereof and at the other end to the ends of the legs, formed by the bifurcation of the head, which are spaced apart and of such length as to allow the link means and the pivot connecting the second lever with said link means to pass thru between the legs of the bifurcated head.

MARTIN L. STROMBERG. 

